The Sound Of Falling Leaves
by KatsuraKotaro
Summary: A title with meaning! Eh hem. Set some years after story. There is a new Hokage and a new, mysterious threat to Konoha ... namely an old face. Pairings of ShikaTema InoNeji InoChou SasuSaku SasuNaru GaaNaru. Rated for language and references.
1. Prologue

The Sound Of Falling Leaves

Hi there. Welcome to my first proper Naruto fic. This story definately focuses on Team 10 a lot of the time, but many of the other characters will be in it and play key roles. Be patient and the story will get better. It starts off a bit slow for a reason. As for couples, a feature which seems necessary in Naruto fanfiction, anything could happen. Some will be obvious, some will not. Possibility of yaoi. And one last thing : please do not judge this story on the prologue which you see before you. Thank you!

Prologue - 'In The Sound Country'

The grass was dense and rubbed angrily against his shin-pads. The man with dark hair sneered at the cave ahead. It was very out-of-character for a ninja to follow unreliable tip-offs, but the information he had received seemed more than likely to be useful. He had established this because of the politics surrounding it all. He was in the province near the Hidden Sound Village. The people who lived here were the poorest of them all in this unfortunate country. Shinobi from the Fire Country were more than welcome, if they were inconspicuous around the authorities and did not get those who aided them into trouble. He had been a Jounin for a few years and knew how and where to obtain information. So that had been left up to him, while his companions had made themselves as unnoticable as possible. That is what they did now, by the dark cave, much like they had in the shady inn. The Jounin could see the hazy silhouette of his large male companion backed up against the wall by the cave's entrance. To his left, another figure crouched in some coarse undergrowth, yet this one was female. The Jounin held up his hand to signal to the man to hold his position. The woman inched closer and spoke under her breath.

"The innkeeper seemed certain of their involvement? They could be mere pirates or bandits." she asked. The Jounin looked down at her and caught a glimpse of her bright blue eyes in the darkness.

"Pirates, this far into the land? It is doubtful. And bandits do not appear in groups quite as large as this, unless this is their headquarters." he said, and took a deep breath. "All right, I think we should make sure. Would you be willing to use your technique now? It could be risky."

"I don't mind. I have honed it to perfection after all." the woman said, and adjusted herself to a crouching position. The man beside her watched, waiting for his part in her strange skill. She held out her thin arms, making a seal with her hands. Her figure was almost androginous, which was possibly due to her constant diet of one small meal a day. Before puberty, she had been revered by the girls around her. Now the women of the village giggled behind her back, and no man she had been with had seriously considered marrying her.

"Right, I have what looks like the leader in my sights." she whispered, and said the name of her jutsu. The sight of her falling to the ground caused the man by the entrance to raise his head. Once again, the Jounin raised his hand, and laid the woman's limp body in a more comfortable position. Now they had to wait, but they could not afford to lower their guard.

"Keep calm while you're in there, Ino ..." he muttered.

Within the candle-lit cave, Ino instantly got used to her new body and looked around. Just as her Jounin friend had suspected, this was indeed the hub of a cruel and illegal slave-trade. Why else were there men with whips and chains in their grimy hands, and large cages filled with what seemed to the population of a city slum? One of the slavers turned to her and grinned.

"We got a good haul today, sir. Those nobles in the Hidden Village will give thousands for these hard-working country folk." he said in a strange accent. Ino nodded slightly in agreement.

_Ah yes, you did ... but you won't be getting any of those thousands_, she thought bitterly. The stench of sweat and god-knows what else was over-bearing, and the man's body that she was in hadn't had a wash in many days. Slave-trading was not a glamourous occupation.

"What should we do now, boss?" the same slaver asked. Ino shifted from one foot to the other.

"We should rest for now. Not much else we can do until day-break. You keep an eye on the cages for a while. Tell the others to get some sleep. They'd better not snore too loud, mind! If they do, I'll have a good mind to lock them in one of the cages. I'll, err, just step out for some fresh air."

She obviously had used the right wording, for the slaver shuffled off deeper into the cave with only a grunt. Ino sighed and glanced at the people within the nearest cage. A woman, no older than herself, gazed wearily out between the thick, inpenetrable bars. The kunoichi felt a pang of sorrow, and sincerely hoped that they could free her and the rest of them. Quietly, she exited the cave and looked at the man who was waiting nearby.

"It's me, Chouji. They're settling down now. The perfect time to attack." she said, and then motioned to the Jounin to approach.

"Oi, bring my body over here Shikamaru. We should attack now. Gah, I can't stand this guy's smell." she grumbled. Shikamaru, the Jounin, silently joined his team-mates, carrying Ino's body under his arm. It was disturbingly light, even for a temporarily soul-less vessel. He knew what Ino would want to do next. He pulled out a small vial of liquid and gave it to her.

"Hee hee, you must have read my mind." Ino laughed quietly, and gulped down the vial's contents. It was a potion of paralysis that Sakura had given Ino, amongst other things, for use in such a situation. Without hesitation, Ino cancelled the Justu and opened her eyes in her own body. The slaver boss slumped, and before he had barely gained consciousness, he grabbed his neck.

"Gaaahhh!" he gargled, and with that his legs gave way. Ino smirked and turned her attention to the cave.

"We have to go for it now." she said. "Just ... just seeing all those people in there ... in the cages ... it's sickening. Please, guys, let's do it."

Shikamaru nodded, and pulled out a few kunais in preparation. Meanwhile, Chouji downed a full bag of potato chips and stood before the cave's entrance.

"The cages are all on the sides, so if you go straight through you will avoid them." Ino told him.

"Right, roll through Chouji. Any slavers you don't squash I'll be ready for. I'll be right beind you. Ino, you tie up that guy on the ground and then pick the locks of the cages. Try to keep the prisoners calm and don't let any wander off. Understood? Good." Shikamaru said.

As a force of habit and tradition, Ino jumped into the air and cried out,

"Formation : Ino!"

"Shika!"

"Chou! Baika No Jutsu! Nikudan Sensha!" Chouji cried, morphing into a huge ball shape and rolling into the cave. The ground trembled around Shikamaru as he jogged in after his friend. As he passed by, the stunned expressions of the captives pointed him in the direction of Chouji's destruction, as if the sheer noise of it and the broken objects around him were not enough. The shouts of heart-stopping surprise now resounded from a deep cavern, and Shikamaru hoped that Chouji could hold them off until he reached him.

Pulling out a thick piece of wire, Ino fumbled about with the lock of the first cage. In fact, there were three locks on each structure; top, middle and bottom were secured. The highest one was about seven foot off the ground - she could have done with Chouji's help with that one. So, after releasing the middle lock, she grabbed an unsturdy looking stool from beside the cage door and stepped up onto it to reach the top lock. The woman who had looked at her so forlornly before as the slaver boss, now gave her a small smile and stroked her auburn hair.

"Thank you." she mouthed, as the other prisoners around her began to cheer in strained voices that had not tasted water for some time. Ino told them to be quiet, and then moved down to the lowest lock.

"When this is unlocked," she said in a loud, clear voice, "I want you all to remain calm and under no circumstances leave this cave. Nor do I want you to go any further in. My comrades are at this moment fighting the men who imprisoned you. Please stay where you are until it is all sorted out. We don't want any of you to suffer anymore than you already have." She felt the dark eyes of the woman with auburn hair bore into her exposed forehead, tunnelling deep into her mind, as if mocking Ino's own mind-control technique. _She knows that was me in that guy's body_ ... Ino thought, biting her lip. _Well, no matter_. The cage door swung open, and the crowd of starving bodies swayed like the sea.

"We're free!"

"I can't actually believe it!"

"We can't thank you enough!"

Ino smiled and put her hands up.

"Look, please stay there. You'll be completely free soon enough." she said. After making sure that they were all staying put, Ino went to the other two cages and unlocked them too. More cheers of joy followed the swinging cage doors. Ino wiped her forehead, satisfied. However, she could not decide if she should wait there and baby-sit the captives, or help her friends. The distant sounds of clashing metal and battle cries had not subsided.

"Perhaps I could be of some use." said a voice behind her. Ino spun around to see the same woman who persisted in looking at her.

"No no, please go back." Ino said uneasily, ushering her in the direction of the first cage. The young woman proceeded to produce an assortment of kunai out of a hidden pouch around her middle and flashed a Sound Village headband that was attached to her weapons bag.

"As you can see, I too am a ninja. It was highly embarrassing to be held captive like that, and I feel like getting some revenge." she said, tossing a kunai into the air and then catching it.

"If you're sure ... please be careful, then." Ino said, and ran further into the cave with the woman close behind. They found Shikamaru and Chouji surrounded by the twitching bodies of the slavers.

"Ha ha, looks like we don't have too much to do." Ino laughed, as she watched Chouji beating the last slaver's face to a pulp while Shikamaru held him in a shadow bind. But she choked as a kunai was pressed to her neck and her body pulled sharply back.

"Ino!" Chouji cried, and unhanded the slaver. Shikamaru's jutsu disappeared, and the unconscious man fell to the floor. Ino put her hand up to the offending weapon, and realised that it was the woman that she had rescued who was betraying her trust.

"Such a complex operation ... ending so simply ... it's too good to be true." the woman said, delighting in seeing Ino in obvious distress. The two men felt utterly helpless despite their intense shinobi training. They had been taught how to deal with situations such as this. Shikamaru was a tutor's dream in that kind of lesson. His Kagemane no Jutsu, which he had perfected to be as inconspicuous as possible, was the best way of physically resolving the predicament they were now in. Chouji, standing beside him, could only hope that Shikamaru would use the shadow technique as quickly as possible.

"You have been a source of irritation for my boss these past days. Shinobi from the Leaf are not, and never will be, welcome to roam this land." the woman continued, her eyes combing the floor as she spoke. Shikamaru squinted. _She somehow knows about my skills_. _Looks like this really is up to Ino_.

"And who is it you work for?" he asked, trying to buy time for his team-mate.

"Oh, I don't think mere corpses need to know that." came the retort. It was evident in her tone that the woman was growing tired of conversing with them already, and was preparing to finish her job.

"Now, this stupid whore can die first." she spat, and dug the blade of the kunai into Ino's throat. She felt the blade slice through soft flesh, but did not hear the gargling sound that should result.

"I have been well taught for this kind of situation." Ino said calmly. The woman nearly dropped the weapon in shock. Shikamaru softly chuckled and Chouji could hardly supress a grin. Ino grabbed the kunai with one hand and spun around to face her assailant. Her neck was unmarked.

"How!" the woman cried, feeling Ino's grip tighten on the kunai.

"I don't think a mere corpse needs to know that, but I will show you anyway." Ino said, and held up her free hand. There was a deep, long cut across her palm. It was bleeding profusely.

"I'm a little upset that I had to do that - it might scar or something." she shrugged, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Why you -" the woman started, but the remainder of the sentence caught in her throat. Her body felt completely paralysed.

"It's amazing how someone can be so easily distracted." Shikamaru said, his hands positioned in the familiar Kagemane seal. "Now, finish the tri-attack, Chouji!"

The woman struggled against her chakra induced bonds, but nothing could make her body react. Chouji advanced on her, his fists clenched firmly.

"It won't take much effort." he said, and gestured for Shikamaru to release the shadow bind. The woman stared up in fright at Chouji, who grabbed her by the shoulders and proceeded to pound her entire body. Shikamaru was astounded by the vigour he was displaying - he didn't normally like to hurt people, even enemies, and especially not women. There was, however, a condition which changed that.

_She hurt Ino ... she tried to kill Ino ... she wants to kill Shikamaru too ..._

Before any of them knew it, the woman was damaged beyond repair. Chouji had broken many of her bones and severely injured her internal organs. He let her fall to the ground in an undignified manner. Ino wandered over to her whilst bandaging up her hand. Her twitching limbs were splayed out, and she was desperately clinging to every breath she took.

"Sa -" she croaked, and died. Ino's eyes widened.

"Chouji, you great big bruiser, you actually _killed_ her!" she cried, half in shock and half in amusement.

"It wasn't exactly in violation of the ninja code you know, Ino. _She_ attacked_ us_." Shikamaru said, folding his arms. Ino giggled and slapped Chouji's arm in a friendly way.

"I know that, I'm just so impressed by his strength!"

Shikamaru sweat-dropped, and watched Chouji laughing with Ino as they stood over the lifeless body of the mysterious ninja. _I hope those prisoners back there aren't watching this, they'll think we're sickos_, he thought cynically.


	2. Chapter 1

The Sound Of Falling Leaves

This is a very short chapter for me. o.o It is here to establish certain things really. The real plot will begin in Chapter Two. See? It really is being sluggish right now. laughs

Chapter One : 'The Continuation Of Konoha'

The Hokage of Konoha leant wearily on his desk and felt his throbbing throat demand a drink. It had been a long time since he could concentrate on such a menial thing, due to the ridiculous amount of paperwork he had endured that day. People, or 'victims' as he now refered to them as, who were appointed as Hokage always seemed to have a bus-load of work to do on their first day. The memoirs of his five predecessors confirmed this. Looking despondantly at the pile of papers before him, he took a long gulp of water.

His bodyguard, who too was new on that very day, stood rigidly behind him. His uniform itched and the rough wall he was leaning against was playing havoc with his back. Despite this, he had been content to be in the Hokage's silent company. It was not very different from the days they had spent under the clouds in their youth.

After hours, the Hokage spoke.

"Chouji, am I in the Hokage's office?"

"Yes, sir."

"Am I doing the Village's official work?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did Tsunade appoint me a month ago?"

"Yes, sir. To the very day."

"Did Naruto punch me in the face when he heard the news?"

"Yes, sir. Regrettably so, sir."

"I see." Shikamaru said, and yawned heavily. He still did not believe that this was all some hallucination. Itachi had returned once more and had cast this genjutsu on him. Yes. However inplausible that was, it had to be the case. Well, hallucination or not, he had to finish out-lining his ideas on the concept of a secret police force.

"Who is the least troublesome person you can think of, Chouji?"

"You, sir."

"Apart from me."

"Umm, someone like Aburame Shino I suppose. He doesn't say much, after all."

"Yes, yes, I agree. Who's my secretary again?"

"That squeaky Umi girl."

"Oh god, her. The squeaky one. I need to see Shino tomorrow. She'll have to get in contact with him and book an appointment."

Chouji nodded uneasily. Shikamaru, sensing something amiss, turned his head to him.

"I'm sorry. You don't really want to hear all this boring stuff." he apologised.

"No no, it's just that it all tends to go over my head. I'm simply a bodyguard." Chouji smiled, but the unease was still present in his eyes.

"Well ... then maybe what I could do with is someone to discuss all these things with. Not an advisor, uh, or an advisor actually ... someone like that." Shikamaru mused, rubbing his chin with the end of his pen. The pen flew out of his hand as Ino burst into the office, with Umi the squeaky secretary close behind.

"This woman just went straight past all the guards, sir!" Umi squeaked, "They're preparing their special 'intruder' weapons right now." She looked Chouji. "Look! She's right here! You must protect the Hokage from her!"

Chouji shook his head.

"It's only Ino." he said, although it evidently pained him to say those words. Ino turned around, whipping Umi in the face with her long hair.

"Yes, don't you know who I am? I'm the only woman in these guys' lives, apart from their mothers. How could I not come and see them on their first day on the job? Besides, I haven't got all the time in the world so this is only a quick visit." she said, glaring at the secretary. Shikamaru looked up at the white ceiling and felt any pride he had drain out of him. She was right - she was the most prominent female in his life. This fact depressed him somewhat.

"What are you up to today then, Ino?" Chouji asked her cheerfully, as he was against a face-off between her and squeaky Umi, no matter how much the secretary irritated him.

"I have a photo-shoot at four, and then I have to help my mother close up the shop. Then I have to meet Neji at that new bar in the middle of town." Ino told him, striking each activity off on her fingers.

"Such an easy, care-free existance." Shikamaru muttered, scorning his troublesome friend's schedule. If it hadn't been for his own mother's insistance, he quite possibly would have declined the Hokage position. He probably had not grasped the gravity of the responsibility that accompanied the job straight away. Strangely, it was usually Ino who put things into perspective like that.

"Yes, but I have no idea what to wear tonight. Not that Neji ever notices anyway." Ino laughed. "He's always so preoccupied with his thoughts. But hey, I like that mystery."

Ino had been seeing Neji for two months, but she never seemed fulfilled or satisfied. Shikamaru and Chouji could tell when she was content in a relationship, and she had had many. Sadly, they usually ended up the same way - they'd dump her and then get married to the girl-next-door who could promise them children and a nightly meal on the table. Her two best-friends could only imagine that Neji would do the same, even though he did not seem the marriage-type. Then again, neither was Ino, so maybe it could work between them. Yet she always had some gripe that she had to express about him.

"Well, I shall have to mosey on over to the studio now. Have fun, guys! And congratulations again." Ino said, and blew them both a kiss. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and Chouji blushed behind his hand. When she had left, Umi approached the Hokage's desk.

"How on earth did you come to know a person like that, sir?" she asked, collecting the completed papers from the 'out' pile.

"Same team. The three of us. But I don't think we'll get to fight all together again. Ha, definately not now." Shikamaru said, and began to lazily reminisce.

"Well, I shall try to have her restrained next time she comes in, sir."

"Ino, restrained? That won't be easy." Shikamaru guffawed. Umi frowned to herself, and left the room, leaving him with a full in-tray and empty out-tray.

"I should like for the three of us to hang around sometimes. Just like the old days." Chouji said, momentarily forgetting that bodyguards were expected to be silent in the presence of their employers, "I can just picture us sitting in some bar like our fathers do."

"Sitting under trees was more our thing." Shikamaru said. Nothing more was said for some time, as the new Hokage thought it best to continue with his work.

"I have meetings with Shino and the Head of the Hyuuga clan tomorrow." he declared after a while, "And then next week the Kazekage is visiting Konoha. It's going to be reunion after reunion."

Chouji merely nodded.

"You can talk, you know. I couldn't give a rat's ass about tradition or the bodyguard's code."

"Thank you, sir."

In his modest apartment, Uzamaki Naruto paced with meaningful aggression. The Kyuubei monster inside him was almost tempted to release itself and wreak havoc upon the village once more._ I AM the sixth Hokage. That title is meant for ME_, Naruto thought to himself, condemning both Tsunade and Shikamaru to the most hateful part of his mind. He kicked his kitchen cupboard door as if it was all its fault, and stormed off to his bedroom. _How come all these bastards get great jobs and achieve their dreams? Shikamaru is Hokage. Gaara is Kazekage. Neji has been accepted into the main Hyuuga house and is dating Ino. And Sasuke ... who knows about that bastard. He's the biggest bastard of them all. And he bastarded off and probably has the world at his feet. Or he's dead._

Naruto, since becoming a Jounin in the latest championships, had sunk into his unfortunate tendancy to have a bad time in life and found himself losing the ability to jump around and pretend he's having a good time. Finding out that Shikamaru, the laziest person he knew, had been appointed as Hokage had filled Naruto with both rage and sadness. His dreams were surely beyond his grasp now. Shikamaru would never pass his title onto him. Naruto was the integral part of why his first mission as a Chuunin had failed. Or so Naruto assumed Shikamaru thought.

He looked out of his window at the village of perpetual contentment. Everyone in Konoha seemed eternally blissful and happy. Yet another reason why Naruto was now, more than ever, the misfit. After his success in the Jounin trials, he had taken his empty feelings to Umino Iruka, his former teacher.

"Well, you can either go against this village which you loathe so much and cause an uprising, or ... you can go the other way. Do something to get recognised. Do something to help. Do ... do something truly magnificent. To achieve what you want, it will have to be quite big in scale. Protect and help this village which has scorned you so much, and people might be forced to open their eyes." Iruka had said. Naruto had considered these words at some length before deciding that it made sense. But he had already tried to do the greater good and had defended Konoha many times before. But he had not been the instigator of such tasks. And before he had heard about the Hokage business, he had concocted the perfect plan. Find Uchiha Sasuke. The dark-haired young man had been the focus of his thoughts for some time, along with his old team-mate Haruno Sakura. Sakura had never not talked about Sasuke, and even though he was long gone she still incessantly mentioned his name in every conversation.

Now Naruto thought about Sakura and her sad green eyes. He still cared about the highly-strung girl even though he knew she would always dislike him in return. He could see the roof of her house from his window and quite often stared at it when he couldn't sleep at night. In the glaring light of day he could hear her voice singing with the birdsong, and before each sunset her lavish pink hair lined the clouds. As far as he was concerned, she could be the only Sakura in the world - no blossom was like her.

A knock on his door turned him from the view and he went to answer it. Sakura stood at the threshold of his home, her eyes heavy and her mouth quivering.

"Sa-Sakura-chan?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah ..." Naruto said, and let her through. She faced him in the hallway, even though she looked as if she could use a sit-down.

"Naruto, I need to talk with someone. It just so happens that damn Ino is out tonight and, well ... no one else would understand." Sakura said quietly. Naruto wanted to hold her quaking shoulders and make her stand firm like the usual Sakura he knew. He was only used to seeing her like this in battle situations ... not normally.

"It's ... not easy. It's pointless, in fact ..." Sakura started, but was cut-off by sudden rainfall outside the window. The April clouds were converging on the sky above the village.

"It's been so long since we were Team 7. I can't tell you how much I miss those innocent times. I - I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I can't stop thinking about everything. Everything about ... Sasuke-kun."

Naruto squinted. He could not believe that she would call Sasuke that after all the years of his absence from her life.

"He still means so much, and I kind of hate myself for being so weak like that. The last time ... the last time he spoke to me, I told him everything. It was the day before you went on your mission to get him back. I said that he needn't be afraid to love. I wanted him to turn to me and declare his feelings. But, of course, he didn't. Was there anything ... did he feel anything back then? Anything ... for us?" Sakura said, and looked at Naruto while she awaited a response. Naruto's first thought was a flash-back of his fight with Sasuke and all that had been said. But it was not that which he drew upon to answer her. Not words ... but what he had seen. Things which had meant nothing until now.

"Sakura-chan, I've seen it. I've seen the desire to kill in his anguished eyes ... the murderous intent ... the hatred. But at the same time ... he was so frightened. I was there, and all I could see were his eyes. Can you imagine what it was like ... with such anger and terror at the same time. What was I supposed to think? It was worse than if he was purely being malicious. But I realised that his sharingan can't - couldn't - hide his true feelings. You never saw that. How can you love someone you know so little about?" Naruto said, the image of Sasuke as he had been back then before his mind's eye.

"How can you say that?" Sakura cried out after a moment. She drew in a shuddering breath and leaned back on the front door.

"If I don't know him, then why do I still feel this way?" she said.

"But what am I supposed to do about it?" Naruto said, starting to get a little frustrated. "We don't even know where he is. If he's ... alive, even."

"He must be alive. I can't imagine a world where he's dead."

"_This_ is that world, Sakura!" Naruto said bitterly, leaving off the usual 'chan' for the first time, "Where the hell is he! He may as well be dead! He is not a part of your life now. Nor mine. Nor anyone's. He is gone."

"Thanks for being so understanding. You're as selfish as ever. God knows why I even bother to talk to you." Sakura said, and flung the door open. "Be alone forever, for all I care." With that, she left and slammed the door to. Feeling confused and angry with her, Sasuke and himself, Naruto glared at the spot where she had been standing.

"Sa ..." he said.


	3. Chapter 2

The Sound Of Falling Leaves

Hey guys! Thank you so much for your kind reviews. And I think what you've read so far is the probably nothing compared to what will happen next! XD Now I shall thank my reviewers by commenting on their reviews, since I love you all so much. 3

Bishounenchaser : NejiIno is a great pairing, and I fully intend to explore it's possibilities. SasuSaku ... interesting ... well, you never know. ;

Agent Natsumi : ROOMIE! Thanks so much. Bet you can't wait for SasuNaru-ness, eh? D

Trinity Morgan : I love Shika too. You might have to wait a leeetle bit for the ShikaTema ... I don't want all the couplings to come all at once. But it will happen, so never fear!

Blue-Fire310 : I don't think anyone has been so kind about my writing style before! I think it's usually quite difficult to read ... anyway, thank you so much! I like unconventional couplings too.

Ion : I not only have made Shikamaru Hokage because he is my favourite, but also because I think he has a good chance of becoming it anyway. He was the first out of the nine main genin to make it to Chuunin level. (Maybe not to Jounin ... forget Jounin level exists. IT DOES NOT EXIST. What Jounin?) There are many other reasons too, but I cannot remember them all at this time. I make a convincing argument, don't I? P

Thank you all. Now to the story!

Chapter Two : 'Shikamaru's Propositions'

Aburame Shino stared at the Hokage through his trademark dark glasses. Shikamaru often wondered what kind of eyes were behind them, or indeed any features of his face other than his nose. Shino had always been the same. The sunglasses, the large collar, and the odd insect crawling on his hands. Now that Shikamaru truly thought about Shino's asthetic suitability for this job, he realised that he was perfect. No one else was quite that mysterious.

"So Shino, how is ANBU?"

"..."

"I see." Shikamaru shuffled some papers that were on his desk to make the scenerio look more official. Shino had barely said two words since he had came in through the door five minutes previously.

"I have an interesting proposal for you." Shikamaru said, hoping to gain a response.

"..."

"Have you heard of the troubles in the Sound?"

Shino nodded slightly.

"Ah. Things have been troublesome there for some time. I am meeting with the Sand next week to discuss the politics of it. But we know very little. I can't just send ANBU in there. They tend to get a bit too excited and just generally want to good fight. No, I can't have that happen. Infiltration, that's what I need. And so I have decided to set up a top secret sub-section of my very own ninja team to fulfill this requirement. They would work directly under me. Even more secretive than ANBU. And I am asking you to be the head of this section." Shikamaru explained and prayed that Shino would give an answer.

"So ... I would be a secret agent?" Shino said slowly in his deep, calm voice.

"Yes, that is exactly what you would be should you take on the job."

Shino sat still for a few moments while he evidently thought things through. He was already a member of ANBU, although he was relatively new to it. He couldn't stand the uniform - too revealing - and he really had not seen any action so far. This secret agent prospect was too good an opportunity to refuse.

"I accept the position." he said, as a stray bug meandered along the back of his hand. Shikamaru saw it and shuddered.

"Y-yes, that's wonderful. Could you make your first job the recruitment of other nins to be your subordinates? I trust your judgement."

"Fine."

"I will see you in two days time. In the meantime, I will set everything else up. Then you can take a secret mission to the Sound. I want to find things out as soon as possible."

Shino nodded again.

"Thank you, Shino. You may now leave." Shikamaru said, standing and bowing. Shino bowed in return and left. Chouji smiled.

"That went well. Well done, sir." he said.

"Call me 'sir' again and I will confiscate your chi - your naughty magazines." Shikamaru said, deciding mid-sentence that taking Chouji's potato chips would leave him and the surrounding area completely flattened.

"N-naughty magazines? I don't have any naughty magazines!" Chouji spluttered.

"Sure you don't." Shikamaru said, and checked his timetable. "Let's see, I have to see Hyuuga Hinata in two hours ..."

"I don't, Shikamaru! You know I wouldn't own anything like that!"

"Sure I know. I think I'll order up some food."

"I reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaalllllly don't! Wha - food? Now we're talking!" Chouji said, rubbing his hands together. Shikamaru called in Umi the squeaky secretary and told her to bring up some food - lots of food - and for any unexpected visitors to be turned away for the remainder of the day.

"I can't be bothered to see the world and his wife." he said, and dismissed her. Ten minutes later, the door burst open and the smell of freshly cooked chicken hit their noses. But it was not Umi who was holding the numerous plates of food.

"Ino!" Shikamaru cried, nearly falling off his chair.

"Surrrrrrrrrrprise! I thought we could have a Team 10 special picnic Hokage office style!" Ino said, laying out the platters on Shikamaru's desk.

"Wow Ino! This looks great! But where are your two's portions?" Chouji said, wrapping his arms around the vast amount of cuisine. He was amazed at how the small woman had been able to carry it all without as much as breaking a sweat. Ino laughed at his outward greed.

"Well, I actually don't want anything. I've already had half an apple today. I'm still full up." she said, patting her flat stomach. Shikamaru had to smile. _Now there's someone else who never changes_ ... he thought.

Shino, in his quest to recruit members of this secret service, had been tactful. He had decided against assigning people he knew well. Apart from his old team-mates, he did not care for working with people who would talk to him. But he never got the opportunity to fight alongside his friends anyway. He had instead approached a selection of young yet trustworthy Chuunins who he knew for a fact were currently out of work. A Chuunin who was unemployed was a sorry sight indeed, and they would be happy to take on the job, no matter how much pressure would rest on their shoulders not to tell anyone about it. _Four ought to do it_ ... Shino reckoned after he had been to see that many. He could have gone back to see the Hokage at that moment, but he felt that the Sixth would be troubled to see him back so soon. The Chuunins also needed to prepare for the task in hand, so in the meantime Shino waited quietly for his mission and tried to be as unassuming as possible. Which was not hard.

"So Ino." Chouji said when he had finished nearly all the food, "Anything changed in your life since yesterday?"

Ino set down the hair-brush she had been using to groom herself with, and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"I saw Neji. We went to some restaurant on the outskirts of town. He seemed in a good mood."

"I bet that spelled a good night for you then." Shikamaru mumbled.

"Why, yes." Ino giggled, "But you've never been so interested in that side of my relationships. Anyway, then I went home this morning and Sakura had left a message on my answering machine. That girl is stuck in the past, I'm telling you."

_Aren't we all?_ Shikamaru wondered.

"She said something about longing after Sasuke and Naruto being a pain in the ass. The usual. But she seemed more sad than normal."

"Did you call her back?" Chouji asked.

"No, I really wasn't in the mood to be bored out of my skull. Do you now how often she whines about all that? Sheesh. So then, I went over to that new boutique and there were the nicest pair of sandals I've EVER seen just sitting in the window. Needless to say, they were sold out of them ..."

"You really don't give a shit about anyone, do you Ino?" Shikamaru said. He had meant it to be a joke, but he sounded too serious.

"That's weird, coming from someone I actually do give a shit about." Ino said, her eyes widened.

"I suppose that's why we like you." the Hokage laughed. Ino flicked a piece of clumped rice at him.

"Shut up, pineapple head. But Sakura is really getting on my nerves. I was over Sasuke, like, YEARS ago. Then again, she is in love with him. That explains why she's become all weak and ill half the time. I also figure that's why our team is running the place now. We don't let silly emotions affect our ninja duties."

"But we're losers in life because of that." Shikamaru said, taking a sip of sake. "And you're not in any position of authority, Ino."

"No, but you know what I mean."

"I ..." Shikamaru set down his cup. "I have something to ask you Ino ..."

"What?"

"I want you to quit the shop and work for me."

"For you? But the Yamanaka Flower shop -"

"Get someone else to run it. I want you to be my right-hand ... woman."

Chouji gulped an entire onigiri and then stared open mouthed at both his friends. Ino had a similar expression for the Hokage.

"But ..." Ino said.

"Don't make a decision right away. Go and think about it." Shikamaru commanded, and waved his hand at her. Of course, his greatest wish was for Ino to choose her safe life within the flower shop, to continue her family's business and to be away from the dangers which all Shinobi faced. And yet, though he regretted it, there was a part of him that wanted her to discard all that and restore their Ino-Shika-Cho formation. He wanted not only Chouji, but Ino as well by his side. Being Hokage was the highest he could go, and his mind was in danger of floating away into the clouds he admired so much. Ino, being her high-and-mighty self, would be sure to yank him back down to Konoha Village if he did. So either way she chose, it would affect his feelings.

The carriage was rather old-fashioned in both design and its use. The Hyuuga clan was very interested in up-holding certain traditions and stressing their importance as an influential family in Konoha. The speedy decline of the Uchihas had helped their status and as a result strengthened their belief in ninja family tradition. The carriage was not a carriage in the true sense of the word. It served to carry important members of the main house, yet it was not horses that transported it. Four lesser members of the secondary house hoisted the box onto their shoulders and took it around the village.

Inuzuka Kiba was out walking with Akamaru, his faithful dog, when he saw that very carriage making its way to the Hokage's head-quarters on that day. He knew who was inside very well. He could not believe that she would condone this mistreatment of her family members, albeit of the splinter house. He could imagine her face from behind the carriage's silk curtains - her eyes remorseful, her down-turned mouth quivering with unease. And, of course, her index fingers poking each other in a nervous gesture.

"We've all come so far ..." Kiba murmured, "Yet some of us farther than others. Yeah, we've been left a bit behind, eh Akamaru?"

The dog gave a quiet woof in response and looked up at his master and friend.

"Yeah, you would say that." Kiba said, and watched the carriage carry on up the street.

Shikamaru was finding it impossible to focus after voicing his request to Ino. His impending meeting with the Hyuuga clan leader was not going to go all that well at this rate. For some comfort, he turned to his best-friend who stood behind him, arms folded in a classic bodyguard pose.

"What will she decide, Chouji?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're the one who ..." Shikamaru faultered. That sentence was best left unfinished for now. Chouji grunted and straightened up.

"Isn't your meeting in a few minutes?"

"It will be if they're on time. Which is a given, since the Hyuugas are notorious time-keepers." Shikamaru sighed, and put on his special Hokage hat. The cascading material fell past his shoulders and shaded his face. He hated the head-gear, but he had already been scolded by Umi the squeaky secretary for not wearing it on formal occasions. Chouji grinned.

"You look very ... Hokage-ish. It's quite amusing." he chuckled.

"Hush."


End file.
